Nutritional, Agro-ecological and Commercial Benefits of Legumes

Legumes play a key role in food and nutritional security (FNS) for millions of people around the world, with an estimated 50 million family farmers producing, consuming and marketing (low-scale) legumes in a traditional way. At its 68th session in 2013, the General Assembly of the United Nations declared 2016 as the International Year of Legumes. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations was designated to facilitate the implementation of the legume year in collaboration with governments, non-governmental organizations, academia and other stakeholders. The purpose of the year of the legume was to increase public awareness of the nutritional and health benefits that legumes have, as part of a sustainable food systems, focused on improving FNS; revaluing legume-based proteins; promoting global production; highlighting its quality to encourage better crop rotation and adaptation to climate change; and responding to the markets challenges.